Steam & Excursion > 4014's Whistle

When I heard 4014's whistle blow for the first time in almost 60 years in a youtube video I liked the deep tone it has. I've been told it's a Hancock 3 chime long bell whistle. Does anyone know if there may be any way to find construction plans for building one? I'd like to have one built if possible. Also, at what pressure is 4014's whistle blowing?   

Boiler pressure.

apollo17 Wrote:
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> When I heard 4014's whistle blow for the first
> time in almost 60 years in a youtube video I liked
> the deep tone it has. I've been told it's a
> Hancock 3 chime long bell whistle. Does anyone
> know if there may be any way to find construction
> plans for building one? I'd like to have one built
> if possible. Also, at what pressure is 4014's
> whistle blowing?   

Rizzoli Locomotive Works makes very nice steam rated reproductions. I am sure they could make you one.
 

SP4360 Wrote:
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> Boiler pressure.
>

So that would be 300Lbs. ?


> apollo17 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > When I heard 4014's whistle blow for the first
> > time in almost 60 years in a youtube video I
> liked
> > the deep tone it has. I've been told it's a
> > Hancock 3 chime long bell whistle. Does anyone
> > know if there may be any way to find
> construction
> > plans for building one? I'd like to have one
> built
> > if possible. Also, at what pressure is 4014's
> > whistle blowing?   

Yup, 300psi superheated steam. 611 uses the same whistle and it sounds so much lower due to using saturated steam.

I've been working on a replica of the Hancock 3 chime for a while now. It's still a work in progress, but I'd like to make these in cast bronze like the originals.

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But is that the actual boiler pressure in use on this engine?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

up3985 Wrote:
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> Yup, 300psi superheated steam. 611 uses the same
> whistle and it sounds so much lower due to using
> saturated steam.
>
> I've been working on a replica of the Hancock 3
> chime for a while now. It's still a work in
> progress, but I'd like to make these in cast
> bronze like the originals.

So 611's steam supply for the whistle is before the superheaters and 4014 gets it after? I always adored 611's whistle growing up. I was so ecstatic when she steamed through by my house in Fort Wayne.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> But is that the actual boiler pressure in use on
> this engine?
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Yes, same working pressure on the 844 as well.

All three of the big steam classes on UP used the Hancock long-bell 
3-chime whistles. The "small" Fetters Challengers and the FEF-1 and FEF-2  4-8-4s had the pre-1938 flat top model
while the Big Boys, Jabelmann Challengers and FEF-3s had the later steptop version as pictured in UP3985's post above.

Both sounded an approximate A-Minor triad, musical notes A, C and E. Allegedly the flat top model had a slightly more mellow 
sound.

SP classes GS-2 and GS-3 used the flat top, while GS4 and GS-5 carried the step top version. Classes GS-1 and GS-6 carried the older SP 6-chime whistle.
4449 currently has a flat top model from an older GS class engine. She used to carry a Northern Pacific Challenger's Hancock which was a step top, The current whistle 
does indeed sound less harsh than the NP locomotive's step top. I actually preferred the Challenger whistle. It gave 4449 a distinctive voice. The current one sounds 
like a very generic Hancock 3.

I am enclosing a photo of my whistle.  No idea if it came from the 4002 or not, but it is the correct style and came from the collection of Dave Voytanic.  I mostly collect builder's and number plates, but I love the sound of these whistles!

Ron

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This is one of at least two Hancock whistles I know of supposedly from UP 4022. Really no positive way to tell for sure, except for a scrap of paper taped to the whistle. It could have been on a dozen engines in its career. This one has the side pull lever used on the late Challengers, Big Boys, and 800's. It also has the special, probably shop made angled fitting, that angled the whistle upwards. This whistle still has the white residue and soot, never cleaned up or overhauled. I also have the bell, removed at the same time, the same un-restored condition.

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More whistle detail, and the bell.

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LocoPilot750 Wrote:
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> More whistle detail, and the bell.


I've never seen the Hancock long bell whistle up close, but I've read that their overall length is somthing like 24 inches. Couple that in with them being made of bronze or brass. and I'd imagine they'd have some weight. How much does this one weigh roughly?

Without fitting or pull arm, 45lbs. Not as heavy as some other railroad whistles. The Illinois Central 3 chime weights about 62 lbs.

Posted from Android

There is some information on TrainOrders about the different sound between steam and compressed air because of difference in density and energy.
Eleven months ago.  https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4178493,4178556#msg-4178556

So tell us about your screen name Apollo 17, got to be a story there.

Posted from Android

shipsbell Wrote:
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> So tell us about your screen name Apollo 17, got
> to be a story there.
>
> Posted from Android


 ( Smiling ) Apollo 17 was the final manned lunar mission in Dec. 1972. ( also I was almost two at that time ) Gene Cernan said it was the end of the begining. Much the same way was the end of steam in 1959 for most Class 1 Railroads. The coventional wisdom of the time was that there would be a slim to nothing chance that the engines that were being saved and donated for display would ever return to service. It was people like Ross Rowland and Jack Holst and many others that would spark interest and re-ignite seeing many "park engines" being brought back to life and begining the next phase in their careers such as 4449. Thus that's the story of why I chose the screen name Apollo17 for T.O..

Dan Bruner  ( Apollo17 )

A departed friend of mine had two Big Boy original number plates.  They looked huge in his basement.  He sold them to a friend very cheap back in the early 70s I think.  I kept reminding him what they would bring on the modern market.   He wanted to cry.  He bought them for scrap from the UP.  Who coulda known?

I wonder if 4014 has ever attained a true superheated condition since it's been restored ? I dont see how it could no more than its being worked. How much different would that whistle sound with really hot steam ?

Posted from Android

Dan, thanks for that very interesting explanation.  I often wondered how you came up with that name.

That was the same question I asked.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

LocoPilot750 Wrote:
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> I wonder if 4014 has ever attained a true
> superheated condition since it's been restored ? I
> dont see how it could no more than its being
> worked. How much different would that whistle
> sound with really hot steam ?
>
> Posted from Android